LEFTIES historically have had a tendency to be left behind. Recently being left-handed was still considered abnormal. Of course, we now know there’s nothing wrong with being left-handed. And it does come with certain differences.
Lefties may be quicker thinkers. Lefties may be able to use both sides of the brain more easily and efficiently. According to a study published in 2006, lefties tend to have faster connections between the right and left hemispheres (半球) of the brain, which leads to quicker information processing — a cognitive (认知的) advantage that could benefit them in things like video games and sports.
Lefties have the upper hand in some sports. While less than 15 percent of the general population is left-handed, 25 percent of Major League baseball players are lefties. Why? It may be because they tend to have faster reaction times. But there’s another reason. Studies have found that lefties seem to have a real advantage in interactive sports, such as boxing and baseball — but this advantage doesn’t extend to non-interactive sports, like gymnastics and diving.
Lefties may be more creative thinkers. Many studies have suggested a link between left-handedness and creativity. Some research has found that lefties are better at abstract thinking. However, it’s important to find that studies show relation, not its causes and effects, so it takes time to prove the findings.
1. What does the underlined word “them” in Paragraph 2 refer to?| A．Thinkers. | B．Connections. | C．Sports. | D．Lefties. |
| A．Baseball. | B．Diving. | C．Running. | D．Gymnastics. |
| A．Studies have suggested lefties are more creative thinkers. |
| B．There is a clear link between left-handedness and creativity. |
| C．Much needs to be done to prove lefties are more creative thinkers. |
| D．All the research has found that lefties are better at abstract thinking. |
| A．A guidebook. | B．A diary. | C．A magazine. | D．A novel. |
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【推荐1】Napping (小睡) may be part of life for most of us. However, some countries where daytime naps have long been part of the culture, such as Spain, now discourage the habit. Meanwhile, some companies in the US now promote napping as a way to boost productivity. “It’s important to try to reveal the biological pathways that contribute to the reason why we nap,” says Dashti from Harvard Medical School.
Previously, co-senior author Richa Sexena at Massachusett s General Hospital (MGH) and his colleagues used many databases of genetic and lifestyle information to study other aspects of sleep. To gain a better understanding of the genetics of napping, they performed a genome (基因组)-wide association study (GWAS), which includes rapid scanning of complete sets of DNA of a large number of people.
For this study, the researchers used data from the UK Biobank, which includes genetic information from 452,633 people. All the participants were asked to classify their naps during the day as “never/ rarely”, “sometimes” or “usually”. The GWAS identified 123 regions in the human genome connected with daytime napping. Then the participants wore activity monitors called accelerometers, which can provide data about daytime napping. This data also showed that the self-reports about napping were accurate.
Several other features of this study support its results. For example, the researchers obtained similar findings in an analysis of the genomes of 541,333 people collected by 23andMe, a consumer genetic-testing company. Also, a significant number of the genes near or at regions identified by the GWAS are already known to play a role in sleep.
The team also identified at least three potential mechanisms (机制) that promote napping. Some people need more shut-eye than others. A daytime nap can help make up for poor-quality sleep the night before. People who rise early may “catch up” on sleep with a nap. “This tells us that daytime napping is biologically driven and not just an environmental or behavioral choice,” says Dashti. Some of these mechanisms are linked to health concerns, such as a large waistline and increased blood pressure, though more research on those associations is needed.
1. What did the researchers at MGH focus on in their new study?| A．The causes of long napping time. |
| B．The benefits of napping frequently. |
| C．The reasons behind the napping habit. |
| D．The genes contributing to poor sleeping quality. |
| A．The subjects of the GWAS came from 123 regions. |
| B．Activity monitors were used to ensure reliability of the results. |
| C．Researchers are looking for more genes that can play a role in sleep. |
| D．American companies encourage nappíng to make people feel at ease. |
| A．The ways to help people improve their sleep quality. |
| B．The causes of and solutions to some health concerns. |
| C．The impact of environment on people’s napping choice. |
| D．The connection between some health problems and the mechanisms. |
| A．Health issues caused by daytime napping. |
| B．Napping considered to be an essential habit. |
| C．Researchers working hard to promote napping. |
| D．Biological factors playing a role in daytime napping. |
【推荐2】Cover your mouth when you cough, wash your hands… don’t say bad things about math. Researchers have known for years that a fear of math can be contagious. They’ve shown that children can pick up negative attitudes about math from teachers. Now they’ve found another source of “math anxiety”: parents.
The researchers asked parents to rate how anxious they would feel in different situations involving math. They also assessed their children’s math ability and math anxiety. Kids whose parents were anxious about math learned less math and were more likely to become nervous about math themselves. But they only “caught” that anxiety if their parents had frequently tried to help with their homework. “Inadvertently,” Mark Ashcraft says, “when those parents are trying to help with homework, they’re conveying their own bad attitudes about math to their children.”
Those children also seemed to learn less math in school. Kids whose parents were anxious about math — and who had helped them with their homework—did not perform as well on the tests as did those who had not been exposed to math anxiety.
“I was sympathetic to the parents and their kids. I was always very nervous about math, not only taking tests, but also learning new concepts. I really tried to avoid math,” Erin Maloney says. It was only after she studied statistics in graduate school and saw how it could be applied to her passion—psychology—that she started to enjoy math.
Parents with math anxiety shouldn’t avoid supporting their kids as they work on math assignments, though. Instead, they should look for ways to have fun with math, like playing math-based games. And if parents feel unsure about their own abilities, they should a- void talking about it. They instead should try to put a positive spin on math.
Helping kids with schoolwork requires more than just going over facts and concepts, Maloney notes. “It’s also attitude,” she says. And their attitude, she says, can have a surprisingly big impact. If parents can’t figure out a math problem, they shouldn’t get frustrated or embarrassed. Rather, they should help their kids plan questions to ask their, teachers.
1. We can infer from the second paragraph that ______.| A．a kid may have the genes of fearing math |
| B．parents are the first teacher for their kids |
| C．good intentions may have a bad payoff |
| D．math is the most fearful subject at school |
| A．She knew the use of math in life. |
| B．She enjoyed learning new math concepts. |
| C．She had a strong passion for psychology. |
| D．She had personally experienced math anxiety. |
| A．Try to make learning math an interesting thing. |
| B．Avoid helping their kids with math homework. |
| C．Keep talking about math with their children. |
| D．Focus on reviewing facts and concepts of math. |
| A．Kids’ math ability depends on their parents |
| B．Parents’ math anxiety can infect kids |
| C．Math anxiety is a headache to parents and kids |
| D．Math homework promotes kids, love for math |
【推荐3】Color may influence the way food tastes for picky (挑剔的) eaters, according to a new study published in the journal Food Quality and Preference.
Stafford’s research team did an experiment with about 50 participants, who were mostly young adults around 20 years old. The study divided the individuals into picky and non-picky eaters, based on their responses to a certain measure. Both groups then tasted the same snacks served in red, white and blue bowls.
The results showed the color of the bowls influenced how the picky group perceived (感知) the saltiness and desirability of the foods — but did not influence the non-picky group. The picky group thought that the snack served in the red bowl was least desirable and the snack was higher in saltiness in the red and blue bowl — compared with the white bowl.
“Picky eating usually starts in childhood,” Dr. Lama Bazzi said. She explained that if picky eating is not solved properly as a child, it can be developed later into certain eating disorders.
All of this is because of a sense of control and a sense of safety. So when talking about the colors of the bowls in the research study, it probably has to do with what makes that person feel safe, such as what colors are connected with safety. The colors blue, green and purple are considered “safer” colors, while the color red is usually connected with “stop”.
Supermarkets use similar psychology to catch people’s attention. Children’s cups are colorfully designed to entice kids, giving them a sense of safety and making it fun for them to drink something. When advertisers want customers to buy chips or food, the packaging (包装) tends to use warm and inviting colors that remind people of their childhood. Stafford noted that the research is primary, yet the data may help picky eaters to eat various food.
1. What do we know about the experiment?| A．The participants were all young adults. |
| B．Different snacks were served in different colors of bowls. |
| C．Colors of the bowl didn’t influence the non-picky group. |
| D．The picky group thought the snacks in the white bowl saltier. |
| A．Blue bowl. | B．Red bowl. | C．Green bowl. | D．Purple bowl. |
| A．Attract. | B．Force. | C．Admit. | D．Warn. |
| A．To remind people of their childhood. |
| B．To give people a sense of safety. |
| C．To solve people’s eating disorders. |
| D．To attract people to buy goods. |
【推荐1】When people are overworked or tired, they may take a break by visiting green spaces like forests to relax. But can there be forests inside cities?
Urban forests are not acres and acres of lush greenery. They range from the trees in the park on the corner of your street to the trees lining the sidewalk, or simply bushes in your own backyard!
The idea of care and management for tree populations in urban areas began in North America in the late 1960s and was first called environmental forestry. The greening improved greying cities and soon skyrocketed in popularity. It has now become a whole new discipline of forestry called urban forestry.
Urban forests have the potential to help cities cool down and can be the heart of a city’s social life. Even a tiny patch of ground with a few trees can enrich children’s playgrounds and have a positive impact on the psychological development of children. They also encourage community interaction: people tend to hang out together a lot more when green spaces are available.
How can we incorporate forests into cities? There are external factors in towns that make it challenging to design urban forests into cities. For example, how does a city plant and maintain the trees? Tree canopies can block people’s view, which could lead to accidents. Urban trees can also cause damage to buildings, due to their roots, and through the falling of whole trees or branches.
However, if we plan waste removal operations in advance, we can handle this issue efficiently; the waste parts can be used for other purposes, such as timber and fuelwood.
So do we need more unban forests? Absolutely! Urban forests represent a city-dweller’s easiest access to nature. Given that, cities need to find more creative ideas to provide this beautiful resource for their residents!
1. What does the author intend to do in paragraph 3?| A．Add some background information. | B．Summarize the previous paragraphs. |
| C．Give an example to support a theory. | D．Provide readers with some advice. |
| A．Developing writing skills. | B．Improving mental health. |
| C．Learning responsibility. | D．Mastering gardening tips. |
| A．Modem cities. | B．Urban forests. | C．Creative ideas. | D．Environmental issues. |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Favorable. | C．Unclear. | D．Negative. |
【推荐2】As you read this, pause to reflect on your recent interactions. As a politician, husband, and father, I encounter various spoken language styles: analytical or chatty, formal or informal, pointed or gentle, cooperative or decisive. Talk is the currency of politics. It is our way of negotiating, debating, and persuading. Talk is also the currency of learning-how we develop our ideas, deepen our thinking and share our feelings.
That’s why I want speaking skills, sometimes called “oracy”, to play an important part in Labor’s plans for a reformed school curriculum (课程).
Employers value speaking skills equally with reading and writing. The ability to speak well and express yourself should be something every child should master. But the curriculum doesn’t allow us to provide this. This is short-sighted. An inability to express your thoughts fluently is a key barrier to getting on and doing well in life.
Oracy is in part about good public speaking and debating skills, but in reality, it’s about teaching young people to make strong arguments, choose wise words, understand their audience, form meaningful social connections, and use facial expressions and body language to convey their message. Above all else it’s about finding your voice. To work out who you are and what you believe. If reading opens up a world of imagination and possibility, then speaking and listening opens up a lifetime of empowerment-a chance for those who feel invisible in their own country to be heard. It is about the confidence to speak out, to call out injustice or harm.
And the other side of speaking is listening, which can also be taught. Listening, truly listening, develops tolerance and understanding. And as parents we can play our part. We’ve all been there, at mealtimes, silent as we all stare at our devices. Our job, all of ours, is to get off our screens and give young people, and adults, the gift of listening.
So, oracy―speaking and listening―needs to be placed firmly at the heart of school life.
1. How does talk help a politician?| A．It deepens his wishful thinking. |
| B．It enhances his analytical skills. |
| C．It strengthens persuasive power. |
| D．It provides emotional support. |
| A．Employers underestimate the value of speaking. |
| B．Academic pressure makes students poor-sighted. |
| C．Spoken language is regarded as least important. |
| D．Oracy should deserve more attention at school. |
| A．By sharing different opinions. |
| B．By clarifying the definition. |
| C．By describing personal experiences. |
| D．By employing the concept. |
| A．Set a good example for their children. |
| B．Balance screen time and mealtime. |
| C．Have oral face-to-face communication. |
| D．Disconnect from the virtual world. |
“We’re at the beginning of a golden age of audio,” said US-based podcaster Alex Blumberg in an article in The Sydney Morning Herald． In the last month alone, 15 percent of US adults listened to a radio podcast (播客)．These statistics, released by Edison Research, show the successful evolution of traditional radio broadcasts to the present day’s digital podcast format．The term “podcast” was invented in 2004, but the trend only started gaining mainstream popularity in recent years．With the sharp increase in consumer demand for smartphones and tablets, podcast sales have jumped.
The appeal of the podcast partly lies in its multiplatform delivery and on-demand capabilities (功能)．You can listen during those extra minutes of the day when you’re walking to the shops, waiting in a queue or riding the subway．Similar to television shows, podcasts are generally free to download and most offer new content every week.
Donna Jackson, 22, Sydney University media graduate, listens to podcasts two or three times a week, via iTurns．“I listen while I’m wandering around the house doing something else．It makes completing a boring task much more enjoyable… And it’s an easy way of keeping in touch with what’s going on in the rest of the world,” she said, “I mainly listen to BBC podcasts, but recently I’ve also been listening to This American Life and Serial．They have a special skill to really draw you in.”
Unlike television and music, the audio format has the potential to create a deep impression on readers．Blumberg says this owes to the podcast’s ability “to create close relationship and emotional connection.” Sydney University undergraduate Hazel Proust, majoring in social work and arts, agrees．“When you’re listening, it feels as if the voice of the podcast’s storyteller is talking directly to you．It’s comforting, ” said Proust.
It seems the age-old tradition of verbal storytelling is very much alive and well.
1. From the first two paragraphs, we can learn that ________.
| A．traditional broadcast has come back |
| B．Americans love listening to the radio |
| C．podcasts have become very popular today |
| D．smartphones sell well because of podcasts |
| A．tell how young people relax themselves |
| B．explain why young people like podcasts |
| C．introduce what programs podcasts are presenting |
| D．show how popular podcasts are presenting |
| A．the influence of radios |
| B．the advantage of podcasts |
| C．readers’ impression on radios |
| D．people’s reaction to the medium |
| A．Return of Radio |
| B．Opinions of Podcast |
| C．Features of Radio |
| D．Technology of Podcast |
【推荐1】Coral reefs (珊瑚礁) are among the most productive ecosystems in the world. They’re also in serious danger——climate change and other threats are killing them off. But researchers have come up with an invention they think could help the reefs: 3D-printed corals.
At the heart of reef ecosystems lies a symbiosis (共生关系) between corals and algae (藻类). Corals use light and they’re photosynthesizing (光合作用). The algae inside corals’ tissues (组织) make use of the light to generate energy, and that energy is then transferred to the coral animal host. That animal host, in return, transfers certain by-products to the algae, so they have a symbiosis going on.
This bond between algae and corals is what makes reefs so incredibly productive.Because of this symbiosis, corals have evolved complex skeletal (骨骼的) and tissue structures for collecting sunlight which usually fades rapidly. Through the skeleton, light is pumped and guided into deeper, otherwise shaded areas.
Scientists copied some tricks that corals use. They imaged corals to analyze their skeletal and tissue makeup and then used a 3D bioprinter to build a complicated structure that mimics real corals. The printed corals were made of biomaterials like cellulose (纤维素) and had algae planted in them.
The researchers replicated (复制) coral structure so well that the algae grew very quickly—— up to 100 times more densely than they normally grow in the lab. The 3D-printed creation could be used as a medium to grow algae to produce bioenergy and also as a tool for studying the coral-algae symbiosis.
Of course, there are many other ways this technology can be further scaled and improved to create something like artificial corals in the future. So this is just the first step,where they created the animal host, but they are now continuing to further replicate this animal-algal symbiosis and developing model systems. Eventually, it would be nice that this can have direct applications in coral reef restoration.
1. What is the function of the algae inside corals’ tissues?| A．To perform photosynthesis. |
| B．To pump light into shaded areas. |
| C．To produce energy needed by their host. |
| D．To build complex skeletal structures. |
| A．Stronger tissues. | B．Certain by-products. |
| C．Biomaterials like cellulose. | D．An animal host. |
| A．make a study of the coral-algae symbiosis |
| B．strengthen the bond between algae and corals |
| C．change ocean conditions for corals to survive |
| D．remove the harmful algae inside the tissues of corals |
| A．Fantastic Coexistence of Corals and Algae |
| B．Corals Evolving Symbiosis to Avoid Extinction |
| C．Coral Reefs: Productive but Endangered Ecosystem |
| D．3D-Printed Technology Hopefully Saving Coral Reefs |
【推荐2】Hamburgers were first introduced to the United States in the early 20th century, and the first fast-food restaurant chain opened its doors in 1921. However, it was only after World War II that fast food became popular in the whole country.
After designing their hamburger restaurant to make food in a simpler and more effective way,the McDonald brothers reduced the costs of production. They ended up earning $275,000 by 1951which was quite a fortune for a small restaurant at that time. Along with other pioneers in the fast-food business, by 1990 fast-food restaurants had taken over the American landscape. Today, at least 50 million Americans are fed by more than 180.000 fast-food restaurants every day.
When analyzing these data, we might find it shocking that the decline of our health has moved in direct proportion(比例) to the rise of fast-food consumption.This,sadly, is not a coincidence(巧合) Since1990, various kinds of fast food have led to more consumption of calories compared to homemade meals.
The US government has conducted several surveys on this issue, and they have pointed out some alarming facts. Fast food and ultra-processed snacks are now taking the lead in more and more Americans’ daily diets. Rather than healthy food, more people prefer quick, easy treats with high calories like fried chicken and potato chips. Moreover, according to the surveys, fast-food consumption has more than doubled since the 1970s among people aged between 19 and 39. In a relatively short period of time, the fast-food industry has changed not only the way Americans eat, but also their economy and cultural landscape.The rapid development of the fast-food industry alsotriggersthe problem of increased overweight population in the US.
1. What are the first two paragraphs about?| A．The development of the fast-food industry in the world. |
| B．The booming of the fast-food industry in the US. |
| C．The influence of fast food on our health |
| D．The relationship between fast food and our lifestyle. |
| A．To reduce | B．To cause | C．To increase | D．To remove |
| A．Supportive | B．Unconcerned | C．Negative | D．Unclear |
| A．the influence of fast food on the economy |
| B．the development of fast-food industry |
| C．the solutions to the problem of overweight population |
| D．the relationship between fast food and overweight |
【推荐3】Henry Rollins wrote:“Loneliness adds beauty to life.” Indeed, in the eyes of artists, loneliness never goes out of style. There are paintings that draw loneliness, songs that are inspired by loneliness, and many works of literature that are about this theme.
In the eyes of UK economist Rachel Reeves, however, loneliness is far from romantic. Instead, it’s a serious problem in the country.
So how serious is it? On Jan. 17, UK Prime Minister Theresa May appointed(任命) Tracey Crouch as the country’s first “Minister for Loneliness”. Her job is to tackle the loneliness—a problem which is affecting more than 9 million people in the country, and is more harmful to one’s physical and mental health than smoking 15 cigarettes a day.
And the problem hasn’t just appeared recently. In 2014, the UK was given the title “loneliness capital of Europe” by The Telegraph. A survey found that British people were less likely to get to know their neighbors or build strong relationships with people than those from other European countries.
But this doesn’t mean that the problem only affects Britons. In fact, we’re suffering from loneliness now more than ever, despite most of the world now having access to the Internet, which has made us more connected than ever.
What we need, according to Kim Leadbetter, is to have “proper human connections”. “Our lives nowadays are so busy. We spend most of our time on our phones, laptops. We need to sit down and speak to human beings,” Leadbetter said.
But the first steps toward fighting this problem are to accept its existence. After all, without loneliness, many beautiful paintings, songs, and literary works wouldn’t even exist. And bad or not, being lonely is simply part of the experience of being human.
1. What can we learn about the UK’s loneliness problem?| A．The government is working to solve the problem. |
| B．More than half of British people suffer from loneliness. |
| C．The UK became the loneliest country in the world in 2014. |
| D．British people communicate less with their neighbors than ever. |
| A．Suffer. | B．Fight. | C．Ignore. | D．Avoid. |
| A．Accepting its existence calmly. |
| B．Making more phone calls to our friends. |
| C．Stopping the use of electronic products. |
| D．Communicating with the people around us face to face more often. |
| A．Loneliness is bad to society. |
| B．It is hard to find a solution to social loneliness. |
| C．Loneliness is just a normal part of our life. |
| D．Only artists can appreciate the beauty of loneliness. |
